State Football will never die. The rivalry between South Australia and Western Australia will never fade into the football abyss. Friday's 98th battle between these two states proved exactly why state football still carries such importance in the fabric of the sport.
South Australia and Western Australia fought out a tooth-and-nail contest with swayed back and forth. The Croweaters had control in the first half, looked much more polished with the ball coming out of defence and found their way into attack with crisp ball movement but late in the game, they let WA in during the last quarter with some inaccuracy in front of goal.
Western Australia turned the tide in the third quarter kicking three goals to just three behinds but could not capitalise on their momentum, with South Australia's poor conversion in front of goal in the 2nd half, WA's own forward line struggled for structure often relying on one instead of the cohesion that many expected.
In the end, it was South Australia that broke away in the final 10 minutes to take the Haydyn Bunton Jr Cup for the fourth year in a row by thirteen points [8-16-64 to 7-9-51]
Just who stood out for both states? Let's find out.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
The stat sheet doesn't always tell the full story but what was already clear in the first half was South Australia's forward line was off the chain, with Glenelg's leading goal-kicker Liam McBean offering himself on consistent leads, getting away from the WA defence which was looking lost on the Adelaide Oval.
McBean's three goals were impactful for South Australia but unlike Western Australia, the game saw consistent delivery up forward by Woodville's Connor Ballenden, whose two goals were backed up by five marks inside 50.
Down back for South Australia, their defence was brilliant, not only blanketing WA's key forwards in Ben Sokol & Jonathon Marsh but also imposing themselves on the game with disciplined ball movement across the ground.
Eamon Wilkinson had a huge task in leading the backline charge and he worked hard at the defensive end of the ground, he may have only had 11 touches and 6 marks but was a real source of pressure for South Australia.
James Rowe in midfield was just sensational, his 26 possessions and 11 marks along with 8 Inside 50's earned the Woodville half-forward the Fos Williams Medal, his polished performance was made even more outstanding as he found himself regularly on the wing and often was first to the ball and his desperation at the contest was rewarded.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Even with a dominant third quarter that got them back into the game, there were more than a few pieces missing in the Western Australia puzzle that maybe could have won them the game, but there were some players that more than held their own in a tough contest.
After his time at Carlton came to an end, East Perth's Angus Schumacher has made the most of his WAFL lifeline his state selection is vindication. A superb game in midfield saw him win the Simpson Medal in his first state game, his impact at the contest was immense for WA, with 19 touches along with four marks, tackles and inside 50's.
WA's forward line struggled for structure all day but Subiaco's Ben Sokol broke free in the second half after being held to just one goal, kicking a pair and bringing WA back into the game with his experience and desire.
Down back, they had captain Matthew Jupp fighting at every contest to get to the ball and his marking prowess in defensive 50 was also key in WA's second-half fightback. He saw a lot of the ball in the third quarter and had 4 marks all in the 50 and 14 touches, his leadership was essential in getting his side back into the contest and he delivered.
Jupp, meanwhile, had valuable support from South Fremantle's Toby McQuilkin who regularly found himself on halfback but moving up to the centre, his performance was consistent throughout the game finishing up with 23 disposals and 5 marks.
FINAL VERDICT
South Australia almost saw the game slip away due to their poor conversion in front of goal and let Western Australia in, but WA was playing catchup football all day with their lack of polished disposal from a lot of their key players.
South Australia hold the trophy with 50 wins, and there is no better way to bring up the half-century on their home turf.
